


Your Touch

by ofhopesanddreams



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: (well a result of rose as bad wolf), Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, Epsiode Fix-it: s02e13 Doomsday, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Post-Episode AU: s02e13 Doomsday, Romantic Fluff, Telepathy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:05:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7408762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofhopesanddreams/pseuds/ofhopesanddreams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Void doesn’t pull Rose through, but something comes out. Rose is trapped in her mind with a creature intent on consuming her, and the Doctor’s touch may be the key to stopping it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit of a rewrite of a previous fic of mine, which I took down last year. Hopefully once finished I'll be happier with it.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

The Doctor felt his hearts stutter when Rose let go of the clamp. She was risking her life, risking being pulled into _Hell_ , to save the world.

Beneath the terror, he felt anger. Despite everything he’s done and seen, this extraordinary human wanted to be with him forever. He hadn’t realized, hadn’t comprehended, until she came back and told him she was never going to leave him. Rose was sacrificing her family and friends to stay with him, because she thought he was worth it. It shook him to the core, the weight of her promise. She knew too. But she had challenged the Universe, and the Universe has always been unkind. The Doctor had saved it countless times, and _this_ is how it repaid him. _This_ was his reward. Bile rose in his throat.

He looked on helplessly as she locked the lever, keeping the void open. The suction was back full force, and it lifted her body with the strength of it. She was crying out from the strain on her muscles. He begged her to hold on. But with every passing second, he watched her grip fail her. Rose was saving the world, but he was losing his. When her fingertips slid from the lever, he screamed.

“ROSE!!”

Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the Doctor screaming for Rose and reaching out as far as he could - as though he could save her through sheer will. He couldn’t, he knew he couldn’t. He couldn’t do anything to save the woman he…the woman he loved. Did she know? Back on a planet that shouldn’t exist, he told Ida she did. As sure as he was in his belief in her, he was sure she did. The words had always gotten stuck in his throat, but he had shown her through every action and touch and look. But now, as his entire being was fixed on Rose as she was pulled away, he was having doubts. 

Rose reached the wall where the portal was – this was it their forever was ending too soon – but she didn’t fall through. Somehow she hovered, as though time really did stop. A second later the void closed, and the wall was just that – a wall. Solid and still, and it took him a moment to register that she had hit it; that her body was in a heap on the floor. 

The Doctor ran to her, dropping to his knees. 

“Rose…” he said softly. It was a prayer, a plea, and when he reached for her he was able to touch her this time. He was gentle, fearful, skirting over her body to check for broken bones. He could see nothing at an odd angle, and carefully pulled her into his arms. He brought a hand to her face and caressed her cheek with his thumb, hoping weakly it could be enough to wake her.

After a few moments she did stir, and the Doctor frantically whispered, “Rose? Rose, I’m here, open your eyes.”

How could Rose refuse? Her eyelids quivered, and slowly opened. Her vision was unfocused and everything was spinning violently, but she could find him anywhere. “…Doctor…” 

Her voice was barely audible, but it was his name on her lips. The Doctor began to sigh in relief, but then her eyes closed as her body shuddered then went limp.

His sigh came out as a sob.

His fingers quickly moved to her neck, feeling for a pulse. He found it right away, beating wildly against his touch. Her heart was racing, her breath shallow yet bordering on hyperventilating. She was unconscious, though. Her breathing and pulse should steady. Something was wrong, and he felt his stomach twist into gnarled knot. But he shook his head to try and clear his panic, exhaling roughly. He could do nothing here, on the floor in Torchwood where they surely wouldn’t be alone for much longer anyway. He had to get her into the TARDIS.

His body was acting on autopilot, scooping her into his arms and standing slowly. He placed his cheek against her forehead to keep her head stable as he walked quickly to where his ship was calling him home. He wanted to run, but couldn’t risk jostling Rose too much. His mind was going over her symptoms and possible explanations, but they were feeble at best. He knew he needed to do more thorough tests. 

After the TARDIS was safely in the Vortex, the Doctor quickly returned to the infirmary. He had almost lost her to the Void, but he swore to himself that this time he wouldn’t be so helpless to save her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next one! Hope I'm keeping your interest.
> 
> Unbeta'd.

Rose already had some bruises forming, and would definitely be sore. When she landed, she landed face down, and while she managed to avoid breaking anything, her wrist was sprained. The Doctor had wrapped it carefully, as well as cleaned and bandaged the cut on her forehead. There was a small bump, but no concussion. Her breathing and pulse had calmed, but she shouldn’t still be unconscious. Her injuries didn’t warrant it.

The Doctor ran his hands through his hair, agitated, and began to pace frantically. There was a feeling seeping into his body like venom, a sense of foreboding so strong it felt like a physical blow. He felt the sensation of static in metallic tasting air; a prickle on his skin; hairs on his body that stood on end. There was something here that shouldn’t be. The TARDIS felt it too, and her presence in his mind became apprehensive.

The sight of Rose on the exam table was beginning to unnerve him, and really, she didn’t need to be here. He could keep an eye on her more easily in her room, and she would be more comfortable in her bed. It wasn’t a lie, but it still hid the fact that the Doctor wanted to allow himself the illusion that she was just ill, sleeping off the flu she was stubbornly insisting on weathering out, instead of something unknown and much more sinister.

Cradling her in his arms again, he left the infirmary and headed towards Rose’s room. But when he reached her door, he paused. She would be safer in his room. The realization was sudden and hit him hard, and while he knew it should be considered irrational, he still pressed a kiss to her forehead and took her to his room instead. 

He laid her gently on his bed, caressing her face as he stood back. After retrieving some jim jams from her room, the Doctor slowly and carefully changed her into them. As he saw the extent of her forming bruises, his brows furrowed and he felt the same anger when she came back resurface. 

The Doctor had sent Rose away for a _reason_. He wanted to keep her safe, but of course she’s bloody stubborn and would have none of that. She almost got herself killed, and he couldn’t do a damn thing but watch in horror. She acted so reckless with her life sometimes. With the life that meant everything to him. 

And now…her body was here, but where was she? Where was _Rose_?

When he felt the loss permeate through him, he tensed and shoved it aside. He would not mourn her. Mourning her meant she was gone. And she wasn’t. He needed to think this through.

It was distressing, reliving and analyzing what happened since the void was opened, and the Doctor held Rose’s hand to ground himself. He would much rather have erased today from his memory. And might’ve, if circumstances were different. If Rose had made it through unharmed. He squeezed her hand as he remembered her falling towards the void, but then pulled away abruptly and stood, hands gripping his hair as he spun around to look at her in alarm. 

There was a moment, just a moment, where she hovered in front of the void. She seemed suspended in time. But that’s impossible. She should’ve been pulled in, not kept still at the opening. The void was nothingness, or so he thought. But the Doctor had seen vividly today that things could pass through, or even linger inside. The crew from Pete’s World aside, what had come through the void was dangerous: Cybermen, Daleks. What else had been in there, biding its time? Torchwood had made the breach wider, and the Doctor suddenly sealing it off would’ve forced its hand. And Rose…

Rose didn’t fall in because _something was coming out_ , something that was strong enough to do so despite the suction, and that something _was still with her_. He felt the prickling up his spine again and shuddered. 

As quickly as the feeling came it was gone, and his spine suddenly seemed without support. He slumped down on the bed. He reached out and took her hand again, slowly rubbing his thumb across her skin, but had to pause over her pulse point. It was beginning to race again, and he looked up at her chest and saw how labored her breathing was. He touched her face and felt a thin layer of sweat against her hot skin. She was definitely fighting something off. Oh, _Rose. What has latched onto you?_

With the TARDIS’ help, a minute later the Doctor was sitting beside her, a bowl with cold water nearby and a cloth in his hand. He pressed the damp, cool cloth to her forehead for a few moments, then dabbed at both sides of her face and neck. His ministrations were almost reverent in nature; an unspoken hope that he could bring her back with the love seeping through his touches alone. It didn’t take long before her breathing evened out and he felt it was safe to put the cloth away. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently, wondering if she could somehow know he was there. Wondering how he could bring her back. 

Normally the Doctor was inquisitive and awed by new creatures. And if he could help, he would. But this one…it just felt _wrong_. He should still give it a chance, but the sensations it produced and the fact that it seemed to be holding Rose hostage made him much less willing. Still. He addressed it, asking what it wanted and telling it that he could help without having to hurt anyone. It just needed to let go of Rose, and he’ll help. A chill settled in the room, and the silence following was less discouraging than it was threatening. 

The Doctor didn’t sleep; Rose didn’t wake up.

He never let go of her hand.

\--------

Time was relative on the TARDIS, but it was about midday per Rose’s 24 hour cycle when he reluctantly decided he needed to eat something. It had been over a day, after all. The night had passed without much incident. A few times he needed to use the cloth to soothe Rose’s distress, but for a few hours now her breathing and pulse had been as though she was sleeping peacefully. Letting go of her hand and standing, he vaguely noted he was a bit stiff before removing his jacket and heading to the kitchen for something light.

10 minutes later, the Doctor was leaning against the counter as he chewed on his second piece of toast slathered generously with some jam from another planet. He was on the last jar, and thanks to his habit of making detours to scoop a few fingers full, it was almost empty. After Rose was better, they’d have to stop by the planet again. He knew Rose would tease him about his without-jam-sulking (it was almost as bad as his without-bananas-sulking), which he secretly loved, but he knew Rose would be excited to get more of those biscuits she loved so much.

He was enjoying thinking about jam and biscuits and where else he and Rose could go, but the TARDIS’ ever-present hum changed in tone and volume, effectively ceasing his internal rambling and replacing it with one word.

_Rose._

He dropped the rest of the toast and pushed off the counter, breaking into a run towards his room. The TARDIS moved it closer, and his hearts clenched when he heard it.

Rose was screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry I left you with that cliffhanger for so long. It was completely unexpected. But here's the next chapter!
> 
> Also just wanted to note that there will be 5 chapters now.
> 
> Hope you like!

Rose was aware of what was going on around her. At least, she could _feel_ everything. Her body was sore, and even without moving there was a sharp aching that pulsed through her. It didn’t take her long to realize that she was unable to wake up; that her fighting to open her eyes would cause her heart to race and her breathing to become just shy of hyperventilating. Was this a really vivid dream then? But that didn’t explain how she could feel when the Doctor was around. How she felt him hold her hand all night and the cold cloth against her skin when another struggle to come back to him proved unsuccessful. The gentleness with which he touched her and how it soothed her made her heart ache with longing.

But if she was sleeping, then this had to be a nightmare.

That’s how it works, right? She’s had plenty of nightmares, and while they can be traumatic, she’d always wake up and realize it wasn’t real. So what she was looking at couldn’t actually _do_ anything to her. It was just a nightmare. It had to be. It couldn’t be real. 

But even as she tried to convince herself of that, the cogs in her mind were turning and piecing together what she didn’t want to face. She _couldn’t_ wake up – hadn’t she been trying for hours now? And her time with the Doctor had shown her that even nightmares could be real. Rose couldn’t feel him anymore, and she knew he was all alone because she wasn’t there. Just… just her _body_ , oh god.

She was trapped in her mind, but she wasn’t alone. There was this Darkness, a shadow that somehow had mass with wisps of dark smoke that, when touched, were solid like vines; twisting and reaching for her. It certainly looked like something out of a nightmare. And this was what was keeping her here. This was what was taking her from her Doctor. The full reality of her situation slammed into her when she realized that if this was actually happening…time was in flux and the storm the Doctor saw wasn’t finished with them yet. She felt a chill creep over her skin, and it had nothing to do with that realization.

Rose started screaming.

She began to thrash, clawing and tearing at the vine which had begun wrapping itself around her. It recoiled at the assault, and Rose got the impression that it had been caught off guard. She started to scramble away, but then she felt the cold again, and her skin was crawling like it was searching for a way to seep through her pores and into her veins. As she clawed at her skin, she could feel the pressure of the vine around her leg, and her skin burned as though she was submerged in ice water as it began to drag her backwards. The edges of the Darkness looked like roots – spreading, taking hold, pulling it deeper. 

Panic began to seize her, and she desperately continued hitting and clawing at the vine around her leg, but it didn’t let go this time. It was solid and wouldn’t give; she might as well be hitting a wall.

“TAKE ME BACK!!”

She felt the force of her scream tear at her throat, but she didn’t stop.

“TAKE ME BACK!! TAKE ME—“

She felt warmth. In her hands first, followed by her upper body, then she heard it – two heartbeats, both beating wildly. The vine violently recoiled and dropped her, retreating back into the Darkness. The creature took up more space now, but Rose lay still, instead focused on those heartbeats and the warmth soaking through her until her breathing returned to normal and her heart stopped racing.

  


\---

 

When the Doctor reached his room he found Rose in hysterics, screaming and kicking and clawing at her body. Racing over, he tried to grab her hands and keep them away from her skin, but she was so frantic and struggling as hard as she could. He had never seen her like this, fighting as though her life depended on it. It struck him then that maybe it did, and his blood went cold.

“TAKE ME BACK!!”

Rose’s sudden and agonized scream shook him to the core. No. No no **no**. Whatever she was fighting was _not_ going to take her from him.

“TAKE ME BACK!! TAKE ME—“

Hearts racing, the Doctor grabbed her hands, climbed on the bed, and pulled her to his chest. She struggled for a moment, and then went still.

“Shhh Rose, I’m here. I’m right here.” His voice was shaky, and taking a deep breath, he continued more strongly, “I’ll save you. This thing will not take you from me. I’m not going to lose you.”

He held her tightly until her breathing and pulse were back to normal, then rearranged them to where they were both laying down and she was curled up at his side, head on his chest. It was her favorite way to cuddle, and since his presence obviously calmed her, he hoped she would notice.

Rose’s skin was now colder than his, and it was unsettling. After pulling a couple blankets over her in what he knew was a feeble and futile attempt to warm her up, the Doctor watched her face in agonized silence. The thought of never seeing her smile again surfaced unbidden, and he closed his eyes as despair washed over him. He could still see the way her eyes light up and how sometimes the tip of her tongue peeks out between her teeth. He liked to think that those smiles were reserved just for him. His jaw tightened, lips pressed in a thin line as he forced the fear away. He would get her back.

Whatever this creature was, it was malevolent. There was no doubt anymore: it knew exactly what it was doing, coming out of the Void and into Rose, and it wasn’t holding Rose hostage – it was actively trying to take her from him. And just like that, any interest in figuring out what this thing was or showing it any mercy vanished. No one harms his Rose.

Although whatever it was, it seemed to fear his presence. He snorted softly. It was right to fear. And he knew what he had to do to save Rose. The creature was in her mind, and being a telepath gave him a unique advantage that the creature likely wouldn’t expect. But human minds were fragile, and while he had come to learn that Rose’s was an exception, it was also more precious, and the damage having a hostile entity in her mind could do weighed heavily on him. This was a thousand times worse than Cassandra.

The Doctor breathed deeply a few times in an attempt to ease his anxiety, and then shifted so that he was on his knees, hovering over Rose. Placing his fingertips at her temples, he closed his eyes in concentration.

 _“Rose,”_ he thought, _“I’m on my way.”_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There /might/ be two more chapters instead of one, but we'll see. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Rose felt burnt out, listless, and so exposed she wanted to curl in on herself for some semblance of protection. She could still feel the warmth of the Doctor’s presence, but she could also feel the chill of the darkness nearby. She was reminded of an ice planet they’ve gone to. She had been all bundled up but it was just so cold that she could still feel the wind through all her layers. The Doctor had gotten his calculations wrong, and they didn’t stay long because it just wasn’t safe to be out then. She wondered if this was similar, and how long she had until she couldn’t be kept warm anymore and she was exposed to the elements. Or perhaps it would be more gradual. The cold would seep in slowly, numbing her until she fell asleep and just didn’t wake up again. Her thoughts were spiraling, but then she felt a soft pressure that pulled her back from the edge.

A second later, she heard him.

 _“Rose.”_

_“Doctor?”_

Her voice was small, tentative. But she could hear the relief in his when he responded.

_“Oh Rose. Let me in?”_

She suddenly became aware of the darkness beginning to writhe angrily behind her, causing a pang of worry. But she trusted that the Doctor had some sort of plan, so she relaxed and opened her mind to him.

\---

The Doctor was gentle as he sifted through Rose’s mind. He noted vaguely that he was finding no closed doors, and the level of trust he felt from her as her thoughts washed over him almost made him dizzy. But then he hit a wall, and there was numbing cold and a darkness that somehow had a physical presence. A presence that felt so heavy it was borderline smothering. As he took a couple deep, steady breaths, he readjusted his fingers on Rose’s temples and rubbed his thumbs tenderly over her cheeks a few times. He wasn’t sure if this would work, but it was his best guess, and those are usually right. However, he had to do this gradually and carefully. He braced his own defenses, and then concentrated on that wall; warmth and light flowing through his telepathic presence.

The entity lashed out at first, increasing the risk of some part of Rose’s mind becoming collateral damage. He felt Rose’s head twitch beneath his hands in response. The Doctor’s brows furrowed. No, he was having none of that. He focused a little harder, still gentle but more persistent. There was a moment of resistance—long enough for worried thoughts about Rose to surface—but then the darkness shuddered before beginning to shrink.

\---

Rose had never felt the Doctor’s presence this deep in her mind before, and found she wasn’t threatened. She thought back to her first trip to the end of the world, when he still wore leather, and her reaction to the TARDIS translating languages for her. So much had changed since then. She now trusted him and his ship completely.

She didn’t hide anything from him—didn’t feel the need to—but even if she didn’t want him to see certain memories or thoughts, she knew that that wasn’t what he was looking for. She felt his focus was on this creature, and it was obvious he was being so gentle; like silk or downy feathers brushing against her skin. She felt warmth where he was, and the stark contrast to the cold she felt otherwise made her feel a bit ill. 

She saw the darkness thrash violently; a second later she felt a stabbing pain and winced. But the pain was fleeting, and before she could entertain any fear of being permanently harmed she felt reassurance as the Doctor’s presence became a little more pronounced. She could’ve sworn she heard a shriek before the darkness shuddered, then seemed to undulate as it shrunk.

It was a slow process, and she felt a couple –significantly weaker – pangs as it withered. But mostly she felt as though poison was being drawn from her; this sickening, bitter chill being pulled from her veins and from every corner in her mind. But then why was she still freezing?

\---

As soon as the creature’s presence in Rose’s mind vanished, the Doctor felt the TARDIS’s alarm along with a sudden drop in his body temperature and opened his eyes. 

The room was so dark he might’ve not opened them at all, but the Doctor knew instantly what was going on. He had only expelled the creature from Rose, not defeated it. Rose was still unconscious; for her protection he still kept their connection active, although lessened, but her body had started shivering from how cold it now was. He leaned closer to her, removing one hand from her temple to reach for his sonic, mind whirring with what setting could possibly get rid of the creature. But he never figured it out, as the TARDIS jolted several times in succession, so hard it could put his (occasional) bad driving to shame. He held tight to Rose, piecing together what was going on as light started to filter back into the room through small holes piercing the black. When his bond with the TARDIS flared slightly, it fell into place.

His TARDIS was a sentient, telepathic, _beautiful_ ship. The entity was now out of his reach, but it couldn’t escape her, and she was smothering it. He grinned. Trusting the TARDIS to finish it off, he turned his attention back to Rose. In an attempt to steady her against the occasional jerk of the ship, he straddled her hips, using his weight to keep her from being rocked too sharply. He once again placed his fingertips at her temples, but this time leaning his forehead against hers as well.

_“Rose?”_

_"Doctor! Is everything okay?”_

_“Nothing to worry about! Just a loose entity in the room.”_ If she were able, Rose would have rolled her eyes at his flippancy. The Doctor could tell, and he chuckled. _“The TARDIS is taking care of it. I can explain later. But I wondered if I could have a look around to make sure nothing is lingering in here?”_

_“’Course. I trust you.”_

The Doctor smiled gently at that. He slowly pushed into her mind, and while nothing of the actual entity remained, the areas where it had resided looked worse for wear. He was reminded of hypothermia, but this was something he could help with. Rose basked in the soothing warmth of his presence, and wondered if it were possible to never lose this feeling of having him so close. The Doctor’s hearts leapt when he caught the passing thought, suddenly hopeful at Rose being open to a bond. Rose didn’t fully understand the surge of happiness and affection she felt from him, but she still soaked it up likes leaves do sunshine. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

The Doctor felt the chill against his skin dissipate and a cheerful (but also smug) hum from the TARDIS, and he knew everything was going to be all right. The entity was gone, and Rose would be okay. He shifted off of her, wanting to give her some space. He caressed her cheeks once more while he whispered _“I’ll see you soon,”_ and gently severed their connection. He sat back to wait, and couldn’t help the anticipation bubbling in his veins.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly just pure fluff, which, let's be honest, is needed. There's one more chapter after this.
> 
> I hope you like!
> 
> Unbeta'd.

With a gasp, Rose’s eyes flew open. She looked around in a panic, and the fact that her vision was unfocused did nothing to quell her anxiety. A wave of nausea washed over her, and she squeezed her eyes back shut. There was a beat, then she felt the bed shift beside her. Cool hands cradled her face, and she released a shuddering breath. _Doctor._ She opened her eyes more slowly this time, the blurry shape in front of her clearing and sharpening until she could count the freckles on his face. She had the sudden urge to kiss each one as she did, but at the Doctor’s expression she stopped short. 

The Doctor was looking at Rose like she was his entire Universe. She had galaxies in her eyes and stardust in her skin and she was more beautiful than any planet or nebula he’d ever seen. And he had almost lost her.

Oh, he has spent so much of their relationship dreading the day he’d lose her that he’d been wasting the time they had. But no more. He had a second chance now, and if they bonded…

 _Later_ , he told himself. They had a lot to talk about. 

There was something in the air that felt charged yet fragile, and Rose spared a thought to the possibility of it being timelines settling, now that she was out of danger. But then the Doctor stroked his thumbs across her cheekbones, and she knew it was more than that.

“Hello,” Rose said breathlessly.

The Doctor’s eyes were shining. “Hello,” he said softly.

Suddenly everything that had happened—just how close they came to losing each other forever—hit them hard and immediately they were in each other’s arms. Neither could hold back tears but that was good because the soft sobs and the scrambling to get even closer, the way they were able to hold each other and feel the dampness their tears left on the other’s skin, made the fact that they were still here, still together, seem less like a dream.

After a while, the Doctor pulled back to look at her. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and started to pepper kisses all over her face. Rose huffed out a laugh and caught his lips with hers. He made a soft noise of surprise, but quickly cupped the back of her head and kissed her gently. Their smiles broke the kiss, and the Doctor leaned back to get a better look at her.

“How are you feeling?”

Rose was suddenly aware of how sore she was, and that her body couldn’t decide if it was overheating or freezing. She groaned and covered her face with her hands. That was an answer, right?

“I know you’re sore,” the Doctor said, and Rose moved her hands so she could watch him get off the bed to grab his sonic (his bum always looked nice in those trousers). He turned back to her, sonic in hand, before he continued, “And I should’ve done this before but I was, uhm, waiting for you to be conscious again.”

His voice wavered slightly, and Rose reached out her hand. He walked back to the bed and laced their fingers together.

“You can sonic my bruises?” Rose asked. 

She’s had bruises before, of course, with the life they lead, but either they weren’t bad enough to warrant any fuss (everyone gets bruises, after all), or he used one of the fancy machines in the infirmary for the nastier ones. It wasn’t necessarily surprising that the sonic was capable of it; after all, she remembered mending cut barbed wire with it, so what was mending bruised skin in comparison? But why not just take her to the infirmary?

“Yep!” the Doctor said, “Bruises are just burst blood vessels under your skin –Wellll I say just but they really can hurt a lot and take a while to heal back up—and I only need to adjust a couple settings and we’ll be good to go. Also this way we won’t need to move you too much.” 

Ah. Rose winced as she shifted to sit up and had to agree with this plan.

“Okay, _Doctor_ ,” Rose couldn’t help but tease. “Fix me up.”

Rose forced herself to sit up and scoot over to the edge of the bed. The Doctor made to help her but she waved him off, so he adjusted the settings on the sonic while feigning ignorance to her sharp intakes of breath as she moved. Yes, the sooner the physical evidence of this close call were gone, the better.

The Doctor sat next to her, and looked at her in question. She nodded, and he shifted her sleeve so he could better access the bruise on her shoulder. She looked down, and released a breath as she watched the bruise fade under the blue light.

He healed the cut on her forehead next, and Rose giggled at his quip about how she could’ve passed as “The Girl Who Lived” for Halloween if they had let it scar. He never would’ve, loathing that she gets injured at all, let alone having a permanent reminder of it, but the Doctor savored the sound of her laughter.

Several of the bruises were more hidden, and Rose was thankful the Doctor had thought to change her into her pyjamas as it made getting to them a lot easier…although no less intimate. The ones on her hip and shoulder blade took a little longer, given their severity, but as the last one healed up, she shifted and didn’t feel any pain.

“Better?” the Doctor asked as he pulled her shirt back down.

“Much,” Rose said, “Thank you.”

“My pleasure,” he said, and pulled her into a tight hug.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, before the Doctor broke the silence.

“You should eat something—“ Rose took a breath to interject and the Doctor hurried on, “—I know, but even just toast with some butter. Or jam! I’ll let you have the rest of my jam. Then we’ll both just relax the rest of today. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about everything.”

“Promise? You don’t exactly have the best track record, talking about things.”

“You’re right, I don’t. So I promise. Cross my hearts.” He winked as he even made the hand motion, and Rose swatted his arm playfully.

With a couple slices of toast with jam (Rose watched affectionately as the Doctor scooped up the remnants with his fingers to make sure the jar was _completely_ empty, and when she suggested getting more after their talk, the Doctor beamed and kissed her, determined to never hold back with that again) and some chamomile tea in her system to hopefully soothe her body more, the Doctor brought Rose back to his room and, even though it could still be considered early, they both crawled into bed. 

Rose curled up on her side this time, and the Doctor pulled her against his body. They just held each other for a while, the Doctor tracing his affections against her skin, in Gallifreyan. He was determined to tell her in her language, but it translated so much better in his.

He noticed a crinkle form in Rose’s forehead, and he lifted his other hand and gently pressed his fingers to it. At his touch, it smoothed out, and Rose shifted so he could look at him.

“What’s on your mind?” the Doctor asked softly.

“S’just...I know you said we’d talk about stuff tomorrow, but I don’t think I’m gonna be able to fall asleep with all that’s going on in my head.”

The Doctor frowned a little, considering. He had wanted to wait until tomorrow to give Rose a chance to recuperate, but if it would ease her thoughts to talk about it now instead…

“All right,” he conceded, “where would you like to start?”

“What _was_ that thing?”

The Doctor sighed, moving his hands to scrub them against his face. That was the one thing he was most unsure about.

“I can’t tell you for sure. Some kind of entity. I don’t think it was something from Pete’s universe, and was merely crossing via the Void like everyone else. More likely its home was the Void, and it saw an opportunity for relocation, as it were. Us sealing the Void forced its hand, and…” the Doctor rubbed at his eye with a finger, not liking this part, “...I suppose I should’ve spared a moment to thank it, and probably would have, had it not made the big mistake of causing you harm. But the fact is, that thing coming out and latching onto your mind was the reason you didn’t fall into the Void.”

At Rose’s sharp intake of breath, and the Doctor looked at her solemnly. She reached out and took his hand, for which he was grateful, as her touch grounded him. She lifted his hand to her lips and kissed it gently, almost reverently, and the Doctor’s lips twitched upwards despite himself.

“New record for jeopardy friendly?” Rose asked, all wide eyes and her own lips twitching as well. 

He caught how she was trying to act innocent, and he couldn’t help it -- he started laughing. Rose joined in, relieved, and he pulled her to him and kissed her head.

“Oh, Rose,” the Doctor said, breathless from laughing so hard, “let’s leave this one undefeated, okay?”

“I’ll try my best,” Rose said with a salute and a tongue touched grin.

“You better,” the Doctor growled, but the corners of his eyes started to crinkle and gave his playfulness away. He pulled her into a kiss, which Rose was the first to break. They had gotten distracted. The Doctor caught on, and settled back against the headboard, which Rose mirrored.

“So how did you beat the entity? You said the TARDIS helped?”

“Oh yes, she was brilliant. See, it became clear that the entity was adverse to touch, or possibly the warmth a touch can create, given how cold everything it touched became. At the very least, it seemed to back off when I was touching you.” He looked at Rose for confirmation, and she nodded. “I’d imagine it had something to do with it living in the Void. But me, being a touch telepath, had a distinct advantage over it; I could go into your mind and with me, bring the warmth of my telepathic presence.”

“You did feel warm,” Rose said softly, as she remembered. She was surprised at the longing she suddenly noticed, an emptiness in her head that ached for his warmth again. The Doctor, for his part, noticed the change in her expression, and made note to ask about it. 

“Yes. And it caused the entity to expel itself from your mind, hoping to escape. And it did, from me. But I bet the entity didn’t expect our home to be both sentient and telepathic!”

The lights flickered happily, and they both smiled at the ceiling.

“It couldn’t escape her, and so she finished it off while I took care of you. Perfect teamwork! Ha!”

Rose smiled at him and leaned over to rest her head on his shoulder. He turned and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he grabbed her hand and laced their fingers together. When Rose didn’t say anything else, he broke the quiet.

“You looked like you wanted to say something else, when I mentioned my presence in your mind. What is it?”

Rose’s exhale was shaky, and the Doctor shifted her so he could see her face. She bit her lip and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Was it that bad? He felt a knot form in his stomach, and almost didn’t want to know. But still, he pressed.

“It’s okay, you can tell me.”

Rose took a deep breath and met his eyes.

“I _liked_ you being in my head. You were warm and comforting and it...it felt like you _belonged_ there. I didn’t want you to leave! And my head feels different now, without you there. There’s this...aching, this longing and it doesn’t make sense because I’m human and not telepathic!”

The Doctor’s respiratory bypass had kicked in, and he reached out to cradled Rose’s face. She closed her eyes to avoid looking at him, not knowing how he was going to respond. He swiped at the tears that had fallen with his thumbs, and he finally started breathing on his own again when he shifted his fingers to lay at her temples. Rose’s breath hitched.

“May I?”

Rose nodded, and a second later she felt his warmth in her mind again.

 _“I think you are a bit telepathic..”_ came the Doctor’s voice.

_“But how?”_

_“From when you were Bad Wolf. I had removed the Vortex, but your mind must’ve been altered to be able to hold a telepathic connection with the TARDIS. It's permanent, although after I removed the Vortex it was dormant until I formed the connection to remove the entity.”_

_“And that means what?”_

The Doctor gently withdrew from Rose’s mind; he wanted to be looking at her for this. Rose opened her eyes when he dropped his hands to grasp hers.

“It means,” the Doctor started slowly, trying to reign in his emotions, “it means that you can bond with me, and my presence would never leave your mind again. And I would always have your presence in my mind too.”

Rose’s eyes widened as she processed this, and she started to smile. Then something occurred to her, and she frowned.

“But what happens when I die?”

“That’s the thing about a bond; it essentially ties your lifespans together. You wouldn’t have regenerations like I do, but your lifespan would be extended by...oh, I don’t know, upwards to a millennia?” 

Rose gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

“I...I realize it’s a lot to process, and living that long isn’t easy. Plus, being stuck with me for that long…” He cut himself off before he could get too self deprecating.

That spurred Rose into speech.

“Remember what I told you at Krop Tor? ‘Stuck with you, that’s not so bad.’ I love this life. And I...I love you.” The Doctor’s breathing stuttered. “I promised you forever, and I meant it. My forever is just longer than I ever dreamed possible. Oh, mum would flip.” 

At the mention of Jackie, her eyes filled with tears. The Doctor reached for her, and she buried her face into his chest and let herself grieve over never being able to see her mother again.

“I’m so sorry,” the Doctor whispered, when her sobs had quieted.

Rose pulled back and looked at him sternly.

“I don’t regret my decision. Don’t you ever think I do, or go blaming yourself. My mum will be happy there; she’s got a second chance with Pete. I’m just really gonna miss her. But here, with you, is where I’m happiest. And I’m never gonna leave you. I love you, you daft alien.”

The Doctor felt as though his hearts, his whole body, could barely contain and love he felt for this human. He lifted his shaking hands to her face and pressed his lips against hers. 

“I love you too,” the Doctor spoke against her lips, pressing kiss after kiss, “Oh, Rose, I love you more than I could ever say. Please be my bondmate?”

Rose laughed as she felt herself crying again, but this time from joy. “Is that your alien way of asking me to marry you?”

“Yes, I suppose it is. They are also called marriage bonds.”

“Of course I will!”

She threw her arms around him, pressing him back into the pillows and kissing him. 

They lost themselves in each other, and later fell asleep, naked and entwined.


End file.
